Please be patient; I'll come back around." He left. We spent a long time wiping tears before we took the items to the room. Aisha even started trying on five pairs of shoes each. Inna looked at me. "Humaira, I wanted to catch that boy on something I suspect, but I can't find a way to follow because the Hausa say if you can't catch a thief, he'll catch you. And my silence has been useful because from her advice, I realized it's just blood relation and the compassion God placed in him. The fear of these items making us enter society—won't they accuse us? Before I could speak, we heard Baba Alh Sheetu's greeting. Inna answered and quickly went out, already with her hijab on her head. We all came out; he looked at Inna. "What do you mean by denying us Humaira's salary, or do you think you'll consume it on her wedding day? Leave us with buying furniture; have you done mischief? He shook his head. You'll keep giving us half every month, and you use half; that's the greatest justice we'll do for you. If you agree that you'll marry her off, then fine!" Inna bowed her head. "No, brother; I didn't know that's how it works. I would have sent it long ago; let me get it for you." She entered the room without even looking where we were. He said, "Hurry and bring it since you want to teach your daughter love for worldly things; that's why you insisted on leaving your brother so you can invest." Inna said nothing; she handed him 10k without shame, taking it and pushing it. "They've completed it; we were told it's 20; I was wondering where it is." He handed her a small envelope from his pocket. "Accept the invitation to Mansura's wedding—that's his daughter—in two weeks." Inna came in along with discussing Sumayya's school. She didn't talk to me, and I pursed my lips because I saw it was more than that. At night, he came; I braced myself with a sinking feeling and went out with the bowl of porridge without saying come in because I didn't want the conversation to last like usual; my body felt strange. We greeted, and I said, "Here's the porridge." He took it, but today he drank little; I took the rest home and returned. "Please reduce coming to me at night; even daytime visits, stop them if you can't avoid it. Because you don't care about me?" He said in a restrained manner. I said no. "If you knew what brought me today, swear you wouldn't say that, but never mind." I felt pity for him until my eyes teared up. I said, "Be patient, please." "If I don't be patient with you, Humaira, what will I do? My worry brings you like always; Fareda and